Biden praises Newsom, jokes about Californians fleeing state as 2024 speculation swirls

President Biden on Friday praised California Gov. Gavin Newsom and joked about Californians potentially fleeing his state on a high-speed rail line as speculation continues to swirl over whether Newsom could replace Biden in the 2024 presidential race. 

Biden, speaking at the White House during a meeting of the National Governors Association, said, "We're building the nation's first high speed rail line in California and Nevada" and "I want to thank Governor Newsom for his leadership on that." 

"And by the way, I'm not sure how many people who leave L.A. can do it in two hours to get there, or whether they're going to come back or not," Biden joked. 

The Nevada Department of Transportation says the planned $12 billion Las Vegas-to-Los Angeles high-speed rail system aims to shuttle passengers between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga in two hours and 10 minutes on trains that travel at more than 186 miles per hour.  

JOE ROGAN SAYS DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS ‘SETTING UP GAVIN NEWSOM’ FOR 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RUN 

President Biden talks with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom after arriving at San Francisco International Airport ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco on Nov. 14, 2023. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The journey would be twice as fast as the standard drive time, and officials are planning on breaking ground on the project early this year in hopes of completing it in time for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, the department added. 

Podcast host Joe Rogan has become one of the latest figures to speculate on whether the Democratic Party is preparing to swap out Biden with Newsom on this year’s presidential ticket. 

RAND PAUL: ‘NEVER, EVER LET GAVIN NEWSOM ANYWHERE NEAR THE WHITE HOUSE’ 

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, left, talks with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont during President Biden's meeting with U.S. governors attending the National Governors Association winter meeting in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Friday. (Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz)

"Don’t you think that that’s a ruse, him running for president?" Rogan said during one of his recent shows, later arguing, "I think they’re gonna get rid of him, I think they’re gonna move him out, they’re gonna force him to step down. That’s what I think." 

"If I had to guess, and it's just speculation, I'd say they're setting up Gavin Newsom for it," he added. 

President Biden speaks to the National Governors Association during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Friday. (AP/Evan Vucci)

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Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul also weighed in on the speculation this week, telling an audience at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on Tuesday to "never, ever let Gavin Newsom anywhere near the White House." 

Fox News’ Alexander Hall contributed to this report.